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B. R; CLOUGH 87,- E. M. PLYNN.

FIRE KINDLERJ No. 373 ,340. Patented Nov.- 15, 1887.

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WITNESSES 7 'IJV'VEWTORS 6 W, 6

6%. mm. 7 mm .dttorney I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN R. OLOUGH AND ERAS'IUS M. FLYNN, OF LEBAN ON, MISSOURI;

FIR'E-KINDLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,340, dated November15, 1887,

( Application filed August 13, 1887. Serial No. 246.875. (No model.)

To all whom .it may concern:

Be 1t known that we, EDWIN R. CLoUGH and ERASTUS M. FLYNN, citizensofthe United States, residents of Lebanon, in the county of Laclede andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFirepanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form apart of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of this invention, and is aperspective view. Fig. 2 is a vertical section. j

The invention relates to improvements in fire-kindlers; and it consistsin the construction and novel combination of parts, as hereinafter setforth.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates a hollow spheredesigned to be filled with a composition of matter the ingredients ofwhich are hereinafter stated. The said sphere is divided into twohemispheres, a a, which are rabbeted at their meeting edges to make aclose joint.

B B are perforations in the casing, and O is a circumferential groovearound the same to receive the binding-wire D.

The composition consists of equal part of Spanish white or chalk,plumbago, and pumice-stone, thoroughly'mixed. The hemispheres are filledwith the composition closed together, with the parts of the groove G oneach registering, and the wire D is then bent in the groove and woundtightly. The shell or sphere may be made of any refractory material, butcast-iron is preferable, and it is preferably about one-eighth of aninch thick and about two and a half inches in diameter, or larger, ifnecessary.

The sphere is kept in a small can of kerosene or gasoline, and to kindlea fire it is taken from said can, saturated with said oil, and insertedin the stove or grate below the fuel and fired. The blaze will issuethrough the perforations in the shell about eight minutes, which isabundance of time to start the fire well. The plumbago is used becauseit is practically infusible. It is used in the arts for the manufactureof articles that have to be submitted to great heat. The pumice-stone isused for the same reason and for its great absorbent power. which canalso stand great heat, is used more particularly to unite the plumbagoand pumice-stone into an easily-shaped mass, which will absorb a largeproportionate quantity of 60 oil, and will be at the same time itselfindestructible.

Having described our invention, we claim 1. A fire-kindler consisting ofa centrallydivided hollow sphere provided with perforations adapted tohold a material capable of absorbing a combustible liquid, provided witha circumferential groove, and having its divisions, which are rabbetedat their meeting edges EDWIN R. OLOUGH. ERASTUS M. FLYNN.

Witnesses:

W. J. MoMrLLEN, LEN. S. WILSON.

The Spanish white or chalk,

